It Will Never End- Hayffie One Shot
by carryon-mywayward-who
Summary: After a tiring Victory Tour, Effie vents her worries about rebellion to Haymitch, who also notices the same things occurring while comforting her.


Haymitch poured himself another drink from the variety that was provided on the train. After a tedious Victory Tour, managing the emotionless wonder girl and her love-struck sidekick, he needed it. Well, he didn't _need it_, but he felt like having one. They had one more District to hit, and then it was off to the Capitol. Joy…

"I'm getting too old for this," he told himself, grabbing a seat next to the mini bar. He had to pull Katniss away from _another _rebellion fight today after she had strayed from Effie's protocol and voiced her opinion to the people of District 2. Peeta tried to calm them, but it only seemed to make the situation worse.

Taking a sip of his drink, Haymitch ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair and watched the shifting shapes of nature and the darkening scenery outside as the train sped past. He was so enticed into his thoughts that he almost didn't hear the automatic door slide open. Without looking, Haymitch smirked and set down his glass.

"You know, kiddo," he started, "you sure do have one hell of a time not listening to me."

"And what would I not listen to you about?" an unexpected voice answered.

Haymitch turned his head swiftly and saw the eccentric Effie Trinket waltzing through the doorway toward him. "I am not 'kiddo' by the way," she clarified, brushing away a few strands of her gold colored hair from her bubblegum pink cocktail dress.

"I know you're not," Haymitch said irritably. "I thought you were Katniss."

Effie laughed. "Well it is rather hard to differentiate between me and the Darling of the Capitol. We are practically the same!"

"Don't let her hear you say that, or she'll put an arrow through your throat," he said under his breath, bringing his glass to his lips.

"Haymitch," Effie sighed disapprovingly after hearing him.

They sat in silence for a while. Effie finally decided to sit and fidgeted in her seat. She wiggled and twisted her hands together, glancing all over the train car with a worried expression on her face. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't.

Haymitch noticed this and sighed, sitting up and setting his glass on the counter. "Alright I'll bite, what's on your mind, princess?"

Effie opened and closed her mouth multiple times. She bit her lip and made herself look into Haymitch's blue eyes. His eyebrows knitted together and a hard expression on his face made her look away. He wouldn't even bother listening to what she had to say if she said it.

"Look, cupcake, whatever you have a problem with is not going too present itself. What are you trying to say?" He teased her enough to try and get her to talk. Calling her names never worked, except for this one time.

"I'm worried," she finally said.

Haymitch eyed her. "Worried about what?"

Effie got up and started pacing in front of him; constantly checking to make sure that her Victors would not be entering the room anytime soon. "Can't you feel it? The Games…They'll be different this year. I know they will."

"Effie," he said softly, grabbing her wrist gently and stopping her. "Tell me what you're worried about."

Effie looked down at him and nodded. Instead of taking her original spot across from him, she took the empty seat next to him. Haymitch let go of her wrist and rested his arm on the armrest next to hers.

"The way this tour is going," she began, "it makes me wonder what all the Capitol has in store for them. It seems odd that they should want them to be used for something else rather than entertainment. President Snow must have plans for them, but not the kind of plans that will bring supreme glory and adoration.

"He must be angry at them for some reason. I've seen how the Districts are reacting to them. They have never done this before, rebelling just because of two harmless individuals. The very thought of Katniss and Peeta is sparking something, and I'm scared for them." Effie finished with a quiver in her voice in the end. She took a small pink handkerchief out of one of the crevices in her dress and blotted around her eyes.

"Hey, hey," Haymitch murmured, rubbing her wrist tenderly. "It's going to be okay. If they can pull through the Games, they can pull through this Tour. I mean Katniss is going to be trouble just because she's Katniss. And Peeta, well, Peeta will balance her out, keep her in check like he always does. Effie, there is nothing to be worried about."

That was a lie. Of course there was something to worry about. Katniss had said that Snow wanted her head on a plate. All she had to do was make Panem believe that her love story with Peeta was real. So far, she was doing great, except for District 11, and now 2. For sure, Snow didn't believe it, and most likely, he had something in store for the two lovebirds up his sleeve.

And it was true that the Districts were reacting in a way that no one had ever seen since the initial rebellion that started the Games in the first place. Katniss and Peeta were becoming icons. Not just Capitol icons, but the kind of icons that people idolize and take after for inspiration and motivation. It was terrifying and Haymitch did not see a good outcome in the future for either of his pupils, nor for himself and Effie. She had a good reason to be scared.

But Haymitch couldn't tell Effie that at the end of this, Peeta and Katniss would not be safe. They never were officially safe to begin with. He needed her to keep her cool, not to breakdown, and keep her head held high. She was good at doing that. But when was he going to tell her?

"Effie?"

She sucked in a breath and looked at Haymitch. "Yes?"

Haymitch saw her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes, and saw how broken she would be if he told her. He had to wait, wait for when it was all over. Although, he knew it would never end.

He sighed and took her hand. "You and I are gonna keep an eye on these kids. I will not let anything happen to them. I won't let anything happen to you either. Okay?"

"Promise?" she whispered, staring at her hands.

Haymitch smiled, tilting her chin up to look at him. "Promise."

Effie wiped her eyes with her handkerchief again. She then nodded, leaned over and kissed Haymitch on his stubbly cheek. "You and I have been through so much together. Through all those lost tributes, the parties at the Capitol, and throughout the years, you have remained one of the most loyal friends that I've ever had the pleasure to know." She rose from her chair and smoothed out her dress. "Thank you, Haymitch."

Haymitch stared up at her awestruck. "For what?" he managed to say.

"For everything." She smiled and turned back toward the automatic door. "Goodnight, Mr. Abernathy."

Haymitch took hold of his drink and raised the glass to his lips. "Goodnight, princess."

"Don't call me that!" he heard her retort loudly from beyond the door. He chuckled to himself, put his feet up on the chair she occupied, and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
